Simon kept Ravenna in his sights during the outdoor breakfast that would carry into the afternoon. Their engagement permitted him to accompany her on the footpath with Rhys and Isolde trailing a few steps behind to chaperone.

The lush gardens looked like the last spot on earth where a thwarted murder had taken place. The backdrop for a love affair, perhaps. Ladies in pale gowns struck pall-mall balls in breezy sunlight alongside bleary-eyed gallants who had stayed up all night playing whist. Ravenna was comely in a cream-muslin morning dress with a scalloped hem. Simon felt like an ink splotch on a pastel watercolor painting in contrast.

Ravenna peeped up at him from beneath a straw bonnet tied under her chin. He overheard one of Jane’s friends invite her to a puppet show on the terrace.

She shook her head, refusing, her gaze caught with his. He scowled from habit. She sighed. She made him deliriously happy. Was this the time to reveal that fact?

Jane’s friends giggled, nudged one another, and scurried off, darting him uncertain looks. He forced himself to smile. He wasn’t known for his cheerfulness.

He guided Ravenna in the opposite direction of the parterre. Rhys dropped farther behind.

“So,” he said, “what do you make of our predicament now that you’ve had a few hours to sleep on it?”

“I didn’t sleep,” she said, the sun shining on the curls swept over her shoulder. “When I wasn’t talking to Jane, I was trying to remember what the man looked like. I’m not sure I even saw his face.”

“You’ll remember when you least expect to.”

She circled a bench. “You promised to answer my questions today. Do you have any idea who would want to shoot you?”

“As Heath pointed out, I’ve made a few political enemies in my day. No one has better reason to kill me, though, then my former brother-in-law, the Earl of Bruxton.”

“Why?”

“Because I intend to kill him.”

“Your late sister’s husband?” she said in disbelief. “Has he threatened your life?”

“No. But he knows I don’t believe Susannah’s death was an accident. He killed her.”

He waited for her to ask him if he could be wrong about the earl. Others had. But then she had known Simon longer than most of his friends. She wasn’t a stranger to sadness or intrigue. And she wasn’t a woman who accepted anything life hurled at her. She’d proved that.

A ball rolled onto the path. Simon bent and tossed it back to a ruddy-faced young man. Ravenna said,” Aunt Glynnis thought your sister was everything a lady should be.”

“Gentle, quiet, so well-mannered that a king could feel like an oaf in her company.” He shook his head. “As a reward for her goodness, I insisted that she marry her murderer.”

He glanced up into the trees. Birdsong filled the silence. Ravenna touched his sleeve. A bolt of longing went through him. Was there another woman whose touch could so soothe and arouse? He wanted to wrap her in his arms.

“You’re positive that he took her life?”

He looked down, conscious that when he was upset, the birthmark on his face tended to darken. Did she notice? “I don’t have proof in the opinion of the law,” he said. “Bruxton believes he has gotten away with his crime. It is disturbing. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too, Simon. I’d no idea that her death was more than it seemed. Was anyone with her at the time? Who saw what happened?”

“Her groom was walking her horse below the window when she purportedly fell. He and the gardeners fought to revive her, but the surgeon called to the estate attested that she died instantly and didn’t suffer. That much I need to believe.” He studied her face beneath the straw bonnet. She was kind and easy to talk to. She listened. She did not judge. Nor had she ever pretended to be perfect.

“You’ve spoken to the earl of your suspicions?” she asked.

“Yes. He claims to pity me and insists he and I remain family. I trusted him once. Not only did he deceive me, but he killed an innocent woman. I was a fool. I offered to use my influence to help him establish a constituency for Parliament. He has high aspirations as men without conscience often do.”

Her brow creased. “You haven’t spoken to me this openly in all the years of our friendship. Griffin blamed himself when Liam broke his neck during their horse race. It wasn’t Griff’s fault, but no one was able to convince him of that.”

“I remember. Griff was accused of luring Liam to his death so that he would inherit the dukedom. It was an ugly accusation. I blame myself for dragging you into my battle.”

“We are friends, Simon.”

He wanted more than friendship. He wanted to be her day and knight, her forever and only love, but enough had been shared for now. “That’s too much melancholy for the first day of our engagement. I don’t mean to scare you off before we take our vows.”

“I have given you the impression that I’m timid?”

“Timid? Never. But you are elusive.”

“I am?”

He was almost caught. “Yes. Look how you got out of your engagement.”

She stood on her toes and without warning touched a kiss to his cheek. He swallowed. He went hot and hard and somehow managed not to drag her into his arms against his pounding heart. The muscles of his shoulders tightened in effort. He couldn’t remember the other women he had kissed. Not their faces, their names. He would never forget this. He burned for her so intensely he felt altogether frantic.

“Thank you for being truthful,” she whispered, dropping back on her heels. “I despise liars. I suspect you have more to say, but this isn’t the time or place.”

“No,” he said. “In fact, it wasn’t the best idea for you to kiss me just now.”

“No one saw,” she whispered as if it made a difference.

His voice filled with soft vehemence. “It’s what I felt.”

Her eyes lifted to his. “I didn’t realize you were that susceptible.”

“I thought I’d warned you that I’m prone to moments of passion.”

“And here I was holding back tears for you.”

“I hope to make you weep only tears of pleasure,” he said, purposefully lightening the mood.

“I should turn my back on you for that. But then if I’m going to marry you it would be impractical to run away every time you fluster me.”

He stared at her, entranced by her fearless assessment of the inevitable. “You do far more than fluster me.”

“Suppose we were alone? What would you do?”

“Didn’t I warn you last night?”

“I don’t heed warnings.”

“I’d start by taking your hair loose,” he said in a low voice. “Then I’d unclothe you from top to bottom. I would cover your naked curves with kisses and stroke my fingers down your spine until you fell into my arms. I’d learn the secrets of your body one by one.”

“Shame on you,” she said with a laugh. “If that’s your idea of how to soothe my emotions, I am doomed. I’ll never -- ” She subsided into silence, pointedly looking past him.

“What is it?” he demanded, swinging around to search the path for the source of her unease. “Have you seen someone? Tell me where. Is it him?”

“It’s worse,” she said, drawing away. “It’s Aunt Glynnis, and she’s headed straight toward us. You are truly dead now, Simon. We both are. Go and hide with Rhys and Isolde. Quickly. Hide.”